HAMPSHIRE’S English County Finals hoodoo extended to 20 years of hurt as Yorkshire secured a record 21st title at Sandwell Park on Sunday.

But Blackmoor member Mark Burgess battled to the very end and produced some of the best golf of the final day in the West Midlands, scoring four eagles in his two matches.

And that culminated with a 3&2 singles win over reigning English Amateur Champion Dan Brown. It was the highlight of the Hampshire man’s career in county colours. Burgess is still the only Blackmoor player to have won the club’s prestigious Selborne Salver in some 40 years.

Burgess was playing in his second English County Finals in four years. In 2013, he had to sit out the Sunday singles as Lancashire pipped Hampshire at Minchinhampton

Defeats for Tom Robson (Rowlands Castle) and Jordan Sundborg (Shanklin) in the top two matches meant that Yorkshire had already clinched the title before Burgess had the satisfaction of claiming victory with a three on the downhill 16th after Brown missed the green and failed to get up and down.

The result denied Brown a 100 per cent record for the weekend and saw the England international hurl his putter some 30 yards across the green into a copse.

Burgess also had the satisfaction of holing his nine-iron on the second to get back to all square after Brown’s birdie at the first.

Birdies at the fifth and sixth gave the 6ft 7ins accountant a two-hole lead. The Yorkshire ace hit back at the ninth and after the par-five 10th was halved in birdie fours, a Burgess bogey at the par-three 12th left the match even.

Brown then made a bogey five at the uphill 13th and a double bogey six at the uphill 15th to restore a two-hole advantage for Burgess who closed out the match on the 16th.

It left Burgess with 21/2 points out of five, having sat out the singles on Saturday.

The morning foursomes had seen some remarkable golf from Robson and Burgess just to stay in touch with Kealan Low and Bailey Gill.

Robson holed a four-iron to eagle the third and Burgess made eagle from four feet at the fifth in reply to Yorkshire’s six straight birdies. Robson then rolled in a 40-footer for another three on the par-five 10th after a brilliant approach around the trees by Burgess to get back to all square.

The Hampshire pair lost the 16th and 17th to go one down, but won the last to get a memorable half in the top match.

Hampshire were left with the heartache of having seen the title slip through their grasp on the last day for a seventh time in a row. They have finished second three times during that run.

ANDREW GRIFFIN

Kevin Boxall and Mark Burgess (both Blackmoor) won the Hampshire County Foursomes Championship round their home course.

The duo shot rounds of 71 and 68 for a one-over-par total of 139, two shots ahead of Martin Young (Brokenhurst Manor) and Tom Robson (Rowlands Castle).

The championship attracted 48 pairs to the Blackmoor course. Next year’s championship will be played at Corhampton Golf Club on Sunday, September 17.